Neuroscience: The Biological Perspective Brain and Behaviour ...

Neuroscience: The Biological Perspective

Brain and Behaviour: the Nature and Function of the Brain and of the

Psychological Processes. Localisation of the Brain Functions

Chapter 2 Learning Objective Menu• LO 2.1 How parts of nervous system relate• LO 2.2 Neurons and nerves and how they work• LO 2.3 How neurons communicate• LO 2.4 Neurotransmitters • LO 2.5 How brain and spinal cord interact • LO 2.6 Somatic nervous system; interacting with surroundings• LO 2.7 Autonomic nervous system and reaction to stress• LO 2.8 Study of the brain and how it works• LO 2.9 Structures and functions of the bottom part of the brain• LO 2.10 Structures that control emotion, learning, memory, motivation• LO 2.11 Parts of cortex controlling senses and movement• LO 2.12 Parts of cortex responsible for higher forms of thought• LO 2.13 Differences between left side and right side of the brai

n• LO 2.14 Hormones interact with nervous system and affect behavior

Overview of Nervous System• Nervous System - an extensive network

of specialized cells that carry information to and from all parts of the body.

• Neuroscience – deals with the structure and function of neurons, nerves, and nervous tissue.• Relationship to behavior and learning.

LO 2.1 Parts of nervous system

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Biological psychology

• Psychology may be defined as the scientific study of mental processes and behavior.

• BP sometimes referred to as psychobiology or biopsychology, is a subfield of psychology.

• Biological psychologists most commonly use an experimental approach to the study of psychology by biological experimental manipulation.

• Biological psychologists may be interested in measuring some biological variable (e.g., an anatomical, physiological, or genetic variable) in an attempt to relate it quantitatively or qualitatively to a psychological (often behavioral) variable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology

Cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psychology

• The field of cognitive neuroscience concerns the scientific study of the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and is a branch of both psychology and neuroscience.

• Cognitive neuroscience overlaps with cognitive psychology, and focuses on the neural substrates of mental processes and their behavioral manifestations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_psychology



Philosophical implications• Biopsychology is related to the philosophical

problem of mental causation

• through the common premise that all mental and psychological phenomena supervene on material structures and processes.

• However, such ideas remain speculative, as is the more widespread assumption that some combination of physical and biological causation accounts for all mental and behavioral phenomena.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_mental_causation







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LO 2.1 Parts of nervous system

Central Nervous System• Central nervous system (CNS) - part of

the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.• Spinal cord - a long bundle of neurons that

carries messages to and from the body to the brain that is responsible for very fast, lifesaving reflexes.

LO 2.5 Brain and spinal cord

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LO 2.5 Brain and spinal cord / LO 2.6 Somatic nervous system /LO 2.7 Autonomic nervous system

Peeking Inside the Brain• Clinical studies

• Deep lesioning - insertion of a thin, insulated wire into the brain through which an electrical current is sent that destroys the brain cells at the tip of the wire.

• Electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB) – milder electrical current that causes neurons to react as if they had received a message.

• Human brain damage.

• Electroencephalograph (EEG) - machine designed to record the brain wave patterns produced by electrical activity of the surface of the brain.

LO 2.8 Study of the brain

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Peeking Inside the Brain• Computed tomography (CT) - brain-imaging

method using computer controlled X-rays of the brain.

• Positron emission tomography (PET) - brain-imaging method in which a radioactive sugar is injected into the subject and a computer compiles a color-coded image of the activity of the brain with lighter colors indicating more activity.

LO 2.8 Study of the brain

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• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - brain-imaging method using radio waves and magnetic fields of the body to produce detailed images of the brain.

• Functional MRI (fMRI) – computer makes a sort of “movie” of changes in the activity of the brain using images from different time periods.

Cognitive neuroscience research methods: Measuring Neural Activity• Single unit recording - The measurement of the

electrical activity of one neuron, often in the context of an ongoing behavioral (psychological) task.

• Multielectrode recording - The use of a bundle of fine electrodes to record the simultaneous activity of up to hundreds of neurons.

• fMRI - Functional magnetic resonance imaging, a technique most frequently applied on human subjects, in which changes in cerebral blood flow can be detected in an MRI apparatus and are taken to indicate relative activity of larger scale brain regions (i.e., on the order of hundreds of thousands of neurons).

• Electroencephalography - Or EEG; and the derivative technique of event-related potentials, in which scalp electrodes monitor the average activity of neurons in the cortex (again, used most frequently with human subjects).

• Functional neuroanatomy - In which the expression of some anatomical marker is taken to reflect neural activity. For example, the expression of immediate early genes is thought to be caused by vigorous neural activity. Likewise, the injection of 2-deoxyglucose prior to some behavioral task can be followed by anatomical localization of that chemical; it is taken up by neurons that are electrically active.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_unit_recording



Tell me the truth…polygrapy or fMRI?

• 90% specificity

The Brain Stem• Medulla - the first large swelling at the top of

the spinal cord, forming the lowest part of the brain, which is responsible for life-sustaining functions such as breathing, swallowing, and heart rate.

• Pons - the larger swelling above the medulla that connects the top of the brain to the bottom and that plays a part in sleep, dreaming, left–right body coordination, and arousal.

LO 2.9 Structures of the bottom part of brain

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The Brain Stem• Reticular formation (RF) - an

area of neurons running through the middle of the medulla and the pons and slightly beyond that is responsible for selective attention.

• Cerebellum - part of the lower brain located behind the pons that controls and coordinates involuntary, rapid, fine motor movement.


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Structures Under the Cortex• Limbic system - a group of several brain

structures located under the cortex and involved in learning, emotion, memory, and motivation.• Thalamus - part of the limbic system located in the

center of the brain, this structure relays sensory information from the lower part of the brain to the proper areas of the cortex and processes some sensory information before sending it to its proper area.

• Olfactory bulbs - two projections just under the front of the brain that receive information from the receptors in the nose located just below.

LO 2.10 Structures controlling emotion, learning, memory, and motivation

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Structures Under the Cortex• Limbic system (continued)

• Hypothalamus - small structure in the brain located below the thalamus and directly above the pituitary gland, responsible for motivational behavior such as sleep, hunger, thirst, and sex.

• Sits above and controls the pituitary gland (master endocrine gland).

• Hippocampus - curved structure located within each temporal lobe, responsible for the formation of long-term memories and the storage of memory for location of objects.

• Amygdala - brain structure located near the hippocampus, responsible for fear responses and memory of fear.


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Cortex• Cortex - outermost covering of the brain

consisting of densely packed neurons, responsible for higher thought processes and interpretation of sensory input.

• Corticalization – wrinkling of the cortex.• Allows a much larger area of cortical cells

to exist in the small space inside the skull.


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Human cortex compared to various animal species

Cerebral Hemispheres• Cerebral hemispheres - the two sections of the cortex

on the left and right sides of the brain.• Corpus callosum - thick band of neurons that

connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres.

LO 2.11 Parts of cortex controlling senses and movement

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Four Lobes of the Brain• Occipital lobe - section of the brain located at the rear

and bottom of each cerebral hemisphere containing the visual centers of the brain.• Primary visual cortex – processes visual

information from the eyes.• Visual association cortex – identifies and makes

sense of visual information.• Parietal lobes - sections of the brain located at the top

and back of each cerebral hemisphere containing the centers for touch, taste, and temperature sensations.• Somatosensory cortex - area of neurons running

down the front of the parietal lobes responsible for processing information from the skin and internal body receptors for touch, temperature, body position, and possibly taste.


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Four Lobes of the Brain• Temporal lobes - areas of the cortex located just behind

the temples containing the neurons responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech.• Primary auditory cortex – processes auditory

information from the ears.• Auditory association cortex – identifies and makes

sense of auditory information.• Frontal lobes - areas of the cortex located in the

front and top of the brain, responsible for higher mental processes and decision making as well as the production of fluent speech.• Motor cortex - section of the frontal lobe located at the

back, responsible for sending motor commands to the muscles of the somatic nervous system.


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LO 2.9 / 2.10 / 2.11 Major Structures of the Brain

Association Areas of Cortex• Association areas - areas within each lobe of the cortex

responsible for the coordination and interpretation of information, as well as higher mental processing.

• Broca’s aphasia - condition resulting from damage to Broca’s area (usually in left frontal lobe), causing the affected person to be unable to speak fluently, to mispronounce words, and to speak haltingly.

• Wernicke’s aphasia - condition resulting from damage to Wernicke’s area (usually in left temporal lobe), causing the affected person to be unable to understand or produce meaningful language.

• Spatial neglect - condition produced by damage to the association areas of the right hemisphere resulting in an inability to recognize objects or body parts in the left visual field.

LO 2.12 Parts of cortex responsible for higher thought

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Spatial neglect


Split Brain Research• Cerebrum - the upper part of the brain

consisting of the two hemispheres and the structures that connect them.

• Split brain research• Study of patients with severed corpus

callosum.• Involves sending messages to only one

side of the brain.• Demonstrates right and left brain

specialization.

LO 2.13 Left side and right side of brain

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Split-brain subjects stared at a dot and viewed a composite of two faces (A). When asked what they saw, subjects chose the child—the image sent to the verbal left hemisphere (B). But when subjects pointed to the face with the left hand, they chose the woman with glasses—whose image was received by the right hemisphere (C) (Levy et al., 1983).


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Language is primarily a left hemisphere activity for most individuals


Results of Split Brain Research• Left side of the brain:

• seems to control language, writing, logical thought, analysis, and mathematical abilities,

• processes information sequentially,• can speak.

• Right side of the brain• controls emotional expression, spatial perception,

recognition of faces, patterns, melodies, and emotions,

• processes information globally,• cannot speak.


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Web ResourcesAmazing Case of Phineas Gage: http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n02/historia/phineas.htmAccount by Renato M. E. Sabbatini, Ph.D., published in the online journal, Brain and Mind.Amen Clinics Atlas: http://amenclinics.com/bp/atlas/You might want to check out for some more information on the brain along with some CAT

scans and MRI’s and PET’s. This is a great website sponsored by Amen Clinics Inc., A Medical Corporation.

Autonomic Nervous System: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/auto.htmlSuccinct summary of information about the structure and function of the autonomic nervous

system, prepared by Eric Chudler.Basic Neural Processes Tutorials: http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/neurotut.html A good site for your students to help them learn about basic brain functioning.Biological and Physiological Resources: http://

psych.athabascau.ca/html/aupr/biological.shtmlLinks to several sites and interesting topical articles relevant to biological and physiological

psychology. A good starting point for a number of assignments, such as writing short papers or assembling study guide terms. Maintained by the Centre for Psychology Resources at Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada.

Biological Psychology: http://www.csuchico.edu/psy/BioPsych/definition.htmlInformation about the field from the biological psychologists at California State University,

Chico. Brain and Behavior : http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/This mega-site contains lots of links to information about the brain, behavior, and the bond

between the two. Students can complete several interactive exercises to learn more about brain functions.

Brain & Mind – Electronic Magazine on Neuroscience http://www.epub.org.br/cm/MUST SEE SITE!!! Includes a wealth of short articles devoted to the brain. Menu

Web ResourcesBrain Briefings - Society for Neuroscience:

http://www.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/index.html A series of 2-page reports that describe clinical applications of basic neuroscience

research. Includes reports in the following areas: Brain Injury, Brain Mechanisms, Development, Drugs, Eating, Emotions, Exercise, Gender, Memory, Nervous System Disorders and Diseases, Nervous System Repair, Pain, The Senses, Sleep, and Technology.

Brain Connection: The Brain and Learning: http://www.brainconnection.com/A newspaper-style web page that contains interesting articles, news reports, activities,

and commentary on brain-related issues. Brain Function and Pathology: http://www.waiting.com/brainfunction.htmlConcise table of diagrams of brain structures, descriptions of brain functions, and

descriptions of signs and symptoms associated with brain structures and functions.Brain Model Tutorial: http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~Brainmd1/brain.htmlThis tutorial teaches students about the various parts of the human brain and allows

them to test their knowledge of brain structures.Brain Reorganization:

http://www.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/brain_reorg.htmlBrief information on how the brain changes with experience, prepared by the Society

for Neuroscience.Brain: Right Down the Middle: http://

faculty.washington.edu/chudler/sagittal.htmlUseful drawing and succinct information about the location and functions of brain

structures that can be seen on the midsagittal plane, presented by Eric Chudler.Menu

Web ResourcesCentral Nervous System -- CliniWeb International:

http://www.ohsu.edu/cliniweb/A8/A8.186.htmlLots and lots of links to information about the central nervous system. See MRI images,

link to research labs, and learn about the brain and spinal cord.Comprehensive Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences:

http://mentalhelp.net/guide/pro02.htmIncludes theory and therapy. This site includes web links with descriptions and ratings of

each source. Useful for spicing up your lectures or for more detailed study by your students.

Conversations with Neil's Brain (1994): http://faculty.washington.edu/wcalvin/bk7/bk7.htm

An Online Book by William H. Calvin & George A. Ojemann of University of Washington. Teachers are allowed to print and photocopy chapters for educational use.

Cross Sections of the Human Brain: http://www.neuropat.dote.hu/caud.gifA cross-sectional image of the human brain. Good to have on hand if you need one.

Show your students and help them identify the various structures.Dogma Overturned: http://www.sciam.com/1998/1198issue/1198infocus.htmlUpending a long-held theory, a study finds that humans can grow new brain neurons

throughout life. This research summary was published in Scientific American.Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~lwh/drugs/An online textbook detailing the effects of various substances on the brain, authored by C.

Robin Timmons & Leonard W. Hamilton.Harvard Brain: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~husn/BRAIN/index.htmlThe brains behind Harvard University? No, just a journal published by the Harvard

Undergraduate Society for Neuroscience. Menu

Web ResourcesHistory of Phrenology: http://pages.britishlibrary.net/phrenology/Follow the bumpy road to discovering phrenology’s past from a professor of history at

the University of Cambridge.How do Nerve Cells Communicate?

http://www.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBackgrounders/communication.htm

Information prepared by the Society for Neuroscience.The Human Brain: A Learning Tool: http://uta.maymt.edu/~psychol/brain.htmlThese close-up pictures of the brain’s lobes can be added to your classroom

presentations. Link to this site, turn on your classroom’s media projector, and let the action begin.

Human Corpus Callosum: http://www.indiana.edu/~pietsch/callosum.htmlInformation and links about the corpus callosum and “split-brain surgery” by Paul

Pietsch.Lobes of the Brain : http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/lobe.htmlSuccinct information about the location and functions of the four lobes of the cerebrum,

presented by Eric Chudler. Includes link to "Lobes of the Brain Review," a very brief quiz on functions associated with major lobes of the brain. Answers provided online: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/revlobe.html

Localization of Function Exercise: http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~bbrown/psyc1501/brain/locfunct.htm

Allows students to simulate the effects of stimulating the brain, recording electrical activity from the brain, or creating lesions in the brain, then to try to figure out the functions of various parts of the brain based on the data they have collected. Developed by Dr. Barbara Brown of Georgia Perimeter College. Menu

Web ResourcesMaking Connections – The Synapse: http://

faculty.washington.edu/chudler/synapse.htmlClear, comprehensible, explanation of how synapses work, with nice illustrations,

prepared by Eric Chudler.Mapping the Brain: http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n03/tecnologia/eeg.htmArticle on the use of various methods of recording brain activity to map the location of

functional areas of the brain, by Renato Sabbatini, Ph.D. Published in the online journal, Brain & Mind.

Neural Processes Tutorial: http://psych.hanover.edu/Krantz/neurotut.htmlAn excellent interactive animated tutorial. Neuroguide.com – Neurosciences on the Internet: http://www.neuroguide.com/A resource for all things related to neuroscience: databases, diseases, research

centers, software, biology, psychology, journals, tutorials, and so much more.Neuropsychology Central: http://www.neuropsychologycentral.com/Links to resources related to neuropsychology, including brain images, and extensive,

well-organized, links to other sites.Neuroscience for Kids: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.htmlDon’t be put off by the name! This site can be enjoyed by people of all ages who want

to learn about the brain. Fun, superbly organized site providing information and links to other neuroscience sites. Includes informative pages regarding Brain Basics, Higher Functions, Spinal Cord, Peripheral Nervous System, The Neuron, Sensory Systems, Methods and Techniques, Drug Effects, and Neurological and Mental Disorders. Even includes a nice answer to the perennial question “Is it true that we only use 10% of our brain?” http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html

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Web ResourcesNPAC/OLDA Visible Human Viewer:

http://www.dhpc.adelaide.edu.au/projects/vishuman2/VisibleHuman.htmlA little tricky to use, but by following the instructions on this page you can view images

of the brain in one of several planes. Currently, only photos are available, but these are quite nice. MRI and CT scans in the same planes are planned for the future.

One Brain…or Two?: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/split.htmlInformation on lateralization of function and how the functions of the hemispheres may

be studied, presented by Eric Chudler.PET Scan: A New Window Into the Brain: http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n01/pet/pet.htmArticle on uses of PET scan to study brain function, by Renato Sabbatini, Ph.D.

Published in the online journal, Brain and Mind.Phineas Gage Information Page: http://www.deakin.edu.au/hbs/GAGEPAGE Everything you ever wanted to know about Phineas Gage on this page prepared by

Malcolm Macmillan at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.Self-Quiz for Chapter on the Human Nervous System:

http://www.psychwww.com/selfquiz/ch02mcq.htmSelf-quiz prepared by Russ Dewey at Georgia Southern University. Covers material

typically found in an introductory psychology textbook chapter with a title like "Brain and Behavior" or "Neuropsychology."

She Brains / He Brainshttp://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/heshe.html: Nice summary of evidence for sex-

related differences in brain structure, prepared by Eric Chudler.

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Web ResourcesSplit Brain Consciousness:

http://www.macalester.edu/~psych/whathap/UBNRP/Split_Brain/Split_Brain_Consciousness.html

Nice summary of information on the effects of cutting the corpus callosum, with links to further information on split brain experiments and hemispheric specialization.

Synapses: http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~bbrown/psyc1501/brain/synapses.htmContains basic information about synapses and an animation of neurotransmitter

release and binding to receptors at a synapse.Theories on the Role of Brain Structures in the Formation of Emotions:

http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n05/mente/teorias_i.htmNice diagrams of the limbic system are included in this article by Júlio Rocha de

Amaral, MD & Jorge Martins de Oliveira, MD, PhD, published in the online journal, Brain & Mind.

Views of the Brain: http://rpiwww.mdacc.tmc.edu:80/se/anatomy/brain/Gross anatomical photographs of left, right, anterior, superior, and inferior views of the

brain. What Does Handedness Have to Do with Brain Lateralization (and Who Cares?):

http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/brain.htmlVery nice page on lateralization of function in the brain.What Happened to Phineas?:

http://www2.mc.maricopa.edu/anthro/origins/phineas.htmlThe story of Phineas Gage, as told by James Shreve.

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Web ResourcesWhat is Mind?: http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n04/editori4_i.htmArticle about the relationship between mind and brain, by Silvia Helena Cardoso, Ph.D.

Published in the online journal, Brain and Mind.What is the Cerebellum?

http://www.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBackgrounders/cerebellum.htmInformation about the structure and function of the cerebellum, prepared by the Society

for Neuroscience.Whole Brain Atlas: http://www.med.harvard.edu:80/AANLIB/home.htmlPrepared by Keith Johnson, M.D. and J. Alex Becker at Harvard University. Site

includes brain images, information about imaging techniques, and information about specific brain disorders.

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